Interference
by thisarylwren
Summary: Elfangor broke protocol to return to Earth four years after his 'return' to the Andalite world. It was there he first saw his son and made a decision that would change everything. [complete]


**Title:** Interference  
**Rating: **PG  
**Summary: **Elfangor broke protocol to return to Earth four years after his 'return' to the Andalite world.  It was there he first saw his son...  
**Author's Note:** I wrote this story ages ago…sometime in the summer of 2003.  But somehow it became buried under old files and it wasn't until now I dug it back up again.

I saw in him Loren's eyes.

I knew he was my son.__

I was nothing but a fly on the wall, hovering there, waiting, _watching._  My name is Elfangor Sirinial Shamtul.  I am an Andalite prince, sworn to obey all the rules of central command.

I was disobeying.

I had been ordered to fly a routine mission to Mars, a red planet close to Earth.  I had been given strict orders to return immediately.  Yet I couldn't.  I had seen the blue-white-green planet and I had felt a strong yearning in my hearts, a yearning to return to the woman I loved, the woman I had married.

Loren.

It had taken me days to track her down, but I had done it.  Now I waited, studying her through horrible fly eyes as she put my son to sleep, humming a song under her breath.  I nearly cried looking at her.  She was still so beautiful.

Did she remember me?  The Ellimist had said Loren wouldn't know I existed.  But still – 

I shook my head, clearing it.  My thoughts were inappropriate.  This whole detour was inappropriate.  The Yeerks were rapidly spreading around the galaxy.  I should be on patrol.  I knew what I should be doing, but I could not bring myself to do it.

Loren had once told me the heart made human decisions more often than the brain.

She had also mentioned such decisions often turned out to be foolish.

"Good night, Tobias," Loren whispered, brushing a kiss on the child's forehead.  I looked at my son sleeping.  He looked so precious, lying there, slowly breathing in and out.  So vulnerable, yet so innocent.  I could have watched him sleep forever.

He had Loren's eyes.  He had "Alan Fangor's" hair, ears, and nose.

It was simply amazing, to see this product of Loren and my love.  

Beautiful, I thought aloud.

Loren jerked.  She looked around the room suspiciously, her hands hovering protectively over Tobias's sleeping body.  I remained as quiet as I could, stilling my hammering fly heart.  How could I have been so stupid as to thought-speak?  

But a moment later, Loren relaxed her muscles and looked back at Tobias.  "I must be tired," she murmured softly, "Sweet dreams, Tobias."  She kissed his blonde hair again, her fingers fondly tracing a pattern on his forehead.  Tobias smiled in his sleep.  Enchanting.  Such beauty!  I wanted to forever protect him, this wonderful miracle of love and light.

With one last look, Loren turned around and left the room.

And I was left alone with my son.  Tobias.

I watched him until my internal clock told me I was five minutes away from being stuck in fly morph forever.  And even then, I lingered before pulling away.

***

I demorphed in a dumpster outside of Loren's apartment.  Then as quickly as I could, I morphed to human.  I wanted to stay close to Tobias.  Furthermore I wanted to _see_ him.  I didn't want to look through fragments of fly vision.  

Dimly, I was aware I was taking a huge risk.

I did not care.  Just so long as I could see Tobias, any risk seemed worth taking.

I jogged up the steps and entered the apartment building, going up to the fourth floor where Loren and Tobias lived.  There was no hesitation in my step as I made my way to her door and knocked.

Loren pulled the door open a few inches, looking rather flustered.  "Yes?"

I tested my throat before speaking, "Good evening, Loren."

She looked startled.  "Do I know you?"  

"Perhaps no," I said quietly, "But I knew you."

Her brow furrowed.  "_Who_ are you?"

"My name is Alan Fangor."  I quickly searched her face, looking for some sort of realization, but she was a complete blank as she stared back at me.  "I was a friend of yours, four years ago.  You probably don't remember me."

"The name doesn't ring a bell," Loren said uncertainly.  "What do you want from me?" I noticed her hands tightened on the door handle.

I held my hands up placating.  "I am merely here to visit an old friend," I said quickly.

Her eyes narrowed.  "All right.  You've visited.  Goodbye."  She started to close the door in my face, but I grabbed onto it.

"I can prove I knew you," I said quietly.  

She looked at me, the challenge in her eyes.

I named off her old address.  

"That's nothing," Loren said angrily, "Anybody with a phone book could do that."

"You had a picture of Yosemite in your room.  There were people smoking cigarettes in the picture.  You used to play softball.  There was a man in a McDonalds.  He had bad acne.  You and your friend Jennifer always used to make fun of him."  I stopped and paused for breath.

She stumbled backwards.  "How do you know all that?" she said.  "That's stuff from seven or eight years ago!"

"I knew you then, too," I said.

She pulled the door open a bit more and studied me.  "You look familiar."  She ran one hand through my blonde hair.  An odd tingling ran through my veins at her touch.  "My Lord," Loren whispered, withdrawing her hand.  "You look like my son."

"But he has your eyes," I said automatically, and then wished I had kept my mouth shut.

Loren stared at me.  "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were – " she broke off abruptly and flushed.  

"Yes?" I prompted.

"No!" she snapped at me.  "Look, you, Alan.  I don't know who you are.  But you have no right to come up to me and mess around with my head."

"No, Loren," I tried, but she jabbed a finger at my chest.

"Just get out of my sight!" she snarled.  

"I love you!" I blurted desperately.

She stopped, her expression frozen.

I dropped to one knee before her.  "I married you.  You bore my son."

"No.  No!  Impossible," Loren breathed, the color draining from her face.

"No," I rose quickly.  "I love you, Loren.  Under mitigating circumstances, I was forced to leave and I disobeyed orders to visit you.  But I have always loved you."

She stared at me then looked away.  "Even if you love me, how can you expect me to return that love?" she asked hoarsely.  "I know nothing of you.  If you married me, then you deserted me and left me to raise our son by myself.  I don't know what dictionary you're using, but that is *not* love.  Beyond that, you offer no proof!"

"I gave you a ring!" I said quickly.  "As per human custom."

Her hand halted in midair.  "A ring?" she said, her voice hushed.

I nodded, struggling to remember. "It had a white stone...a diamond.  14 karat gold band.  I gave it to you when we stood under the tree at your old house.  I dropped to one knee and offered – "

She stared at me, a fascinating combination of horror and disbelief clicking behind her grey eyes.  "I have the ring," she said slowly, "And I remember the proposal now.  But I don't remember _you._"

"You wouldn't," I said.  "Your memories of me were erased."

She gave an extremely weak smile.  "So you're saying my memory was wiped."

"Yes," I said, surprised at how quickly she had gotten it.

"Haha.  That's funny.  I married some Star Trek guy," she said, seeming to sag against the door.  "What else about the ring?" she asked quietly.

"There's a dolphin engraved in the band.  You loved dolphins.  The diamond was surrounded by rubies.  You were born in July.  That's why I chose the rubies.  You said it was your favorite stone.  I married you, Loren.  It was one of the happiest days of my life."

"Why have you come back then?" Loren asked, her face pale.  "Why now, after all these years?"

"I have not had the time," I said.  "But I've dreamed of returning.  Believe me."  I rose and stared into Loren's eyes, beseeching her to understand.

She looked away.  "This is too much – I can't – "

I glanced at her guiltily.  "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

Loren's eyes were filled with tears.  "I remember loving," she said, her voice choked, "I know I must have loved my husband very much."

I reached out for her, more out of instinct than anything else.

And then time stopped.

***

"Having fun, Elfangor?"

I whipped my head around, seeing an elderly man hobbling my way.  The disguise didn't fool me.  "You.  Again," I sighed.  "Ellimist."

"Yes," he said.  He came to a stop in front of the frozen Loren and myself.  "What are you doing back here on Earth?  You have meddled too much."

"I don't care!" I shouted at him.  "Why?  Why do you always ruin everything good in my life?"

The Ellimist folded his hands together.  "I do not ruin; I fix – "

"You interfere," I said, placing heavy emphasis on the last word.  I longed for my tail, just so I could strike at him.

He shook his head slowly.  "You want to hurt me," he said evenly.  "I took you away from her the first time.  And you know I'm here to take her again."

"You cannot interfere with this.  I will not stand by and let you."

"Andalite arrogance," he said, with the faintest smile.  "You should not have come here, Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul.  Loren should never have been made aware of you.  You should be back at the Andalite Dome Ship, reporting to your Captain, who I might add, is quite furious with your...detour."

"I – do not – "

"Yes, I know, you do not care," the Ellimist said.  "But you should."  He paused for a length of time.  "What do you hope for, Elfangor?  Do you want Loren to love you back?  Do you want to spend the rest of your years, as a human, loving Loren and raising your son?"

"Yes," I said immediately.

"What about your obligation to the Andalite military?  Have you already forgotten the fact that you are no longer an _aristh, _but a prince?  The High Command needs you."

I hesitated.  "I want that too."

"That is your destiny, Elfangor.  Not this."  The Ellimist waved one hand around.  "But you have gone too far.  There are very little ways to fix this now.  Loren is beginning to remember who you are.  That cannot be allowed."

"Why not?" I asked belligerently. 

He shook his head sadly.  "You want to protect her from Visser Three, do you not?  If she ever speaks of an 'Alan Fangor', do you not think Controllers will notice?  Yes," he said, "There are Controllers on Earth.  The invasion has already begun."

I stared at him helplessly.  "What can you do?"

"Make her forget," the Ellimist said quietly, "Change her so that the Yeerks will never go after her."

"Is there a price?"

"Yes," the Ellimist said.

"What is it?"

"You have made decisions before without knowing all the details," the Ellimist said.  "I cannot give you many details.  All I can say is that I can do all that.  But there will be a price to pay.  A price you, Loren, and Tobias will pay."

"And in exchange?" I swallowed hard.

"Loren will not be touched by the Yeerks.  Nor will Tobias."

"You swear to this?"

"I do," the Ellimist nodded.

I nodded.  "I agree to it."

He held out his hand.  "It is time for us to be going.  Loren will not remember you by tomorrow afternoon."

"What happens tomorrow?" I asked.

"You shall see."  

I took his hand and we were whisked off into July 12th.

***

I watched as Loren's car slammed into a semi-truck.

I screamed with agony as she hit, as her head bounced back and simply cracked open, blood spilling onto the pavement.  If I had been a human, I would have cried.  But I was back as an Andalite and Andalites didn't have many tears.

THIS IS THE PRICE, ELFANGOR.

Why? I cried at him, What good does killing her do?

SHE IS NOT DEAD.  BUT SHE WILL FORGET.  AND THE YEERKS HAVE LITTLE USE FOR A BLIND PERSON NOW.

Couldn't you have done it any other way? I screamed, wanting to hurt him, but there was no physical manifestation to hurt.  

NO, ELFANGOR.  YOU DO NOT SEE HOW FAR ONE EVENT CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE.

I watched as Tobias was brought to Loren, as my son cried at the sight of his mother, who only hours ago had so fondly watched over him.  Now she couldn't remember him.  Now she couldn't do anything more than lie in bed, never again to see.

I cried inside for my son's pain.

I watched as people came and took Tobias.  I watched as he grew older under their care.  I watched him grow to hate his human life...to want a different life.

THAT IS MY PROTECTION TO HIM.  THE YEERKS WILL NOT TOUCH HIM NOW.

Because he hates living as a human? I snarled.  How will that help?

YOU DO NOT YET NEED TO KNOW.

Let me guess, I said bitterly, That is his price to pay.

VERY ASTUTE.

More than anything, I wanted to go down there and put some tail into the people mistreating Tobias.  I wanted to go down there and tell him there_ were_ people who cared about him, who loved him more than anything in the galaxy.  I wanted to tell him how much Loren had loved him.  I wanted to tell him how _I _loved him.

THAT IS THE PRICE YOU PAY.

I ground my hooves together, somehow needing to feel some physical pain in order to lessen my guilt.  I had brought this onto my family.  For what?  For a fleeting second of a future with Loren?   I had been a fool.

TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE YEERKS, ELFANGOR.  TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY.  IT IS HONORABLE.

And then I felt my bond with the Ellimist snap and I was back at my spacecraft, looking down at the dusty red planet that humans call Mars.  Time rolled on.

**The End**


End file.
